Logitech G330 Gaming Headset Review

TOG Score

Members (av.)

The Good

*Comfortable, even on larger heads
*Lightweight
*Low tension in head

The Bad

*No Microphone Boost

Review: Logitech G330 Gaming Headset by TOG Vetinari

Finding a headset that suits my needs is a royal pain in the arse. Most of the time I use a headset for voice communications and chatting only, keeping my Logitech 5.1 speakers on for all other audio. With that in mind, the headset I use cannot completely seal to the ears or surround them; doing so would cause me to increase the volume on the main speakers, which would annoy both the wife and the neighbors.

Secondly, the headset, if USB, must use an external adapter with its own manual volume control. I’ve tried pure USB headsets before that have digital volume control, but, since my Logitech speakers are always set as the default in Windows Vista, the volume control on the headset affects the main speakers instead of the headset. That just doesn’t fly well.

Another problem I have is with most of these newer ‘behind the head’ headsets is that they really only comfortably fit the ‘averaged’ sized head. As some of my friends and wife will probably tell you, I’m a bit big headed, and so those headsets can be uncomfortably tight.

These considerations led me to look at the Logitech G330 to replace my aging Plantronics Audio.90.

Comfort:
The headset seems very comfortable, even with my slightly oversized melon. The G330 is the first adjustable behind-the-head headset I’ve seen, using a specially designed spring steel bar that promises to hold its position and also its springiness. It’s extremely lightweight, and, in my case at least, does not take much tension to hold itself in place. The frame of the headset is squared off a bit to accommodate the adjustable bar, and this results in the frame hitting the sides of the back of the head in a couple of places. I didn’t find this to be uncomfortable in any way, however, and think that this is probably due to an integrated silicone rubber liner.

The foam earpads are definitely a plus. As mentioned above, I primarily use headsets for chatting and, while I do use them for sound editing on occasion, I play game audio exclusively through external surround speakers. The G330 allows me to easily hear the sounds around me on my desk, from my main 5.1 to a text message ringtone. I find that the foam also allows your skin to ‘breathe’ better, enhancing long term comfort.
Microphone:
The microphone stays where you put it very well. Its shoulder-joint enables vertical adjustment to approx 270 degrees, while the boom itself is somewhat flexible, like many of the booms that I’ve seen so far.

One immediate drawback, however, is that there is no option for microphone boost. You’re pretty much reduced to just turning the mic volume all the way up. Mic pickup in Vista also seems low, but Vista audio control is a bit deceiving in this regard. Self testing in Ventrilo, comparing my voice return to the sound of the PTT, gave alright returns, but your mileage may vary.

Speakers:
Very clear, but it seems to depend on your sound source, and the headset is a bit bass heavy. This is not an issue for chat usage, but may be annoying to users that plan on listening to a lot of music through this headset, or using them as the primary audio source. This seems to be a common fault of all headsets with larger drivers however; the G330 uses 30mm drivers, or 1.18in.

Conclusions:

* If using this headset as a second audio device for in-game chat and the like, I recommend using it with its USB adapter. You can also use the USB adapter for sound editing, and most music listening, but I would not recommend it for anything with a lot of bass.
* If using this headset as your primary audio, I suggest setting aside the USB adapter and plugging this headset directly into your onboard or add-on board based sound - anything with support for EQ so you can tone the bass down a bit.

Whichever method you use to connect this headset, I think you’ll find it very comfortable, and extremely adjustable, which should be more than enough to make up for the minor issues in sound quality.

The Logitech G330 Gaming Headset is available from Amazon.com with for $44.99 US with free shipping.

Member reviews

And just where am I supposed to put my trackIR Pro-clip huh? Around the back of head bands are instant fail. Also being a logitech product you just know there are comparable products from other manufacturers at a lower price point. so I rate this product a big fat 'meh'.

dual 2.5mm jacks??
what do they fit into? to get 5.1surround wouldnt you need 3 of 3.5?
thats what i need on my systen(or usb)
"Behind the head" bands are good if you dont want to mess up the 'fro man!
"The vector clip has 3 reflective stickers to imitate the TrackClip’s infrared LEDs. You can clip this unit to a hat to use it in place of the TrackClip"
That is the tip from;
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/trackir4pro/
This looks like a fair review of a good product, though I wont be running out to get some while my cybersniper5.1's are still working :-)